ISIS wants to take over Saudi Arabia: US State Department

June 13, 2017, 5:16 AM IST

Moscow [Russia]: The U.S. Department of State has warned that ISIS is turning into an increasing threat for Saudi Arabia and has the potential to destabilize the nation.

“ISIS [Daesh] has potentially become a destabilizing factor with direct implications for the Kingdom’s security. ISIS has expressed its desire to take over the country,” the US Department of State’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) stated in the report assessing diplomatic security in Saudi Arabia.

The report also warned that the al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (also outlawed in Russia) remains a security concern, as it has not abandoned the goal of attacking the Saudi government and Western entities in the country, reports Sputnik.

Due to the presence of Daesh, al-Qaeda and other extremist groups, the State Department “has assessed Riyadh as being a high-threat location for terrorist activity directed at or affecting official US government interests,” the report added.

However, the report also praised Saudi Arabia’s efforts for improvements in combating terror, and highlighted that Riyadh has announced multiple arrests and has thwarted infiltration attempts by ISIS.